Background: Retrograde cardioplegia catheter (RCC) insertion is one of methods for administration of cardioplegics during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However its success rate depends on only surgeon's experience.
We thought the transesophageal ec...
Background: Retrograde cardioplegia catheter (RCC) insertion is one of methods for administration of cardioplegics during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However its success rate depends on only surgeon's experience.
We thought the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can guide the R CC insertion, because TEE is commonly used for monitoring status of heart during cardiac surgery. This study was designed to evaluate the RC C insertion time by TEE guidance versus conventional method without T EE guidance.
Methods: Sixty patients who were scheduled to undergo elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery under general anesthesia were divided into groups as follows: group T [RCC insertion into coronary sinus (CS) by TEE guidance, n=30] and group C [RCC insertion into CS by conventional method, n=30]. We recorded the time of insertion of RCC in to CS in two groups. RCC insertion was done by TEE guidance in case that time was over two minutes by conventional methods in group C.
Results: The overall time of RCC insertion into CS was 63.8 ± 23.6 seconds in the Group T and 102.3 ±55.7 seconds in the Group C, respectively (p=0.001). There were no complications during RCC into CS by T EE guidance.
Conclusions: TEE guidance for RCC insertion into CS is shorten the time of insertion.